Elizabeth Laverick

{{short description|Radar and electrical engineer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} {{Use British English|date=April 2018}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Elizabeth Laverick | image = Elizabeth_Laverick.png | image_size = | alt = | caption = in 1967 during a BBC interview | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1925|11|25}} | birth_place = Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2010|01|12|1925|11|25}} | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | other_names = | residence = | citizenship = | fields = Engineer | workplaces = Elliott Automation<br> Institution of Electrical Engineers<br> Women's Engineering Society | patrons = | alma_mater = Durham University | thesis_title =  | thesis_url =  | thesis_year =  | doctoral_advisor =  | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | influences = | influenced = | awards = OBE (1993) | signature =  | signature_alt = | website =  | footnotes = | spouse = | children = | death_cause = | education = | partner =  }}

'''Elizabeth Laverick''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|OBE|FIEE|FInstP}} (25 November 1925 – 12 January 2010) was a British engineer who became technical director of Elliott Automation Radar Systems. Laverick was the first female deputy secretary of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (now the Institution of Engineering and Technology) and president of the Women's Engineering Society. She was the first woman to receive a PhD in a scientific curriculum at Durham University, and was appointed an OBE in 1993.<ref name="Haines2001">{{cite book|author=Catharine M. C. Haines|title=International Women in Science: A Biographical Dictionary to 1950|url=https://archive.org/details/internationalwom00hain|url-access=registration|year=2001|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-57607-090-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/internationalwom00hain/page/166 166]–}}</ref>

== Early life and education == Laverick was born in Amersham, England in 1925. Her father was a chemist and her mother assisted her father with clerical work.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ethw.org/Oral-History:Elizabeth_Laverick|title=Elizabeth Laverick, an oral history conducted in 1994 by William Aspray, IEEE History Center, Hoboken, NJ, USA|date=994|website=Engineering and Technology History Wiki|access-date=18 July 2017}}</ref> She attended a local grammar school, Dr Challoner's, and took a higher school certificate in physics, maths, French and English. There was an age barrier to attending university at this time so after completing her A levels, Laverick took a job as a technical assistant in the Civil Service at the Radio Research Station in Ditton Park.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ethw.org/Oral-History:Elizabeth_Laverick|title=Oral-History:Elizabeth Laverick - Engineering and Technology History Wiki|website=ethw.org|language=en|access-date=2017-06-15}}</ref> In 1943 Laverick undertook a bachelor's degree in radio and physics at Durham University. She stayed on at Durham to undertake a PhD researching dielectric measurements at audio frequencies using a differential transformer,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9296/1/9296_6227.PDF|title=Dielectric measurements by voltage step methods|last=Laverick|first=Elizabeth|date=1950|website=etheses.dur.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=2017-06-15}}</ref> and in 1950 became the first woman to receive a PhD in a scientific discipline from Durham University.<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal|last=Davey|first=B.|date=1999-02-01|title=Go for it! Take three successful women|url=http://digital-library.theiet.org/content/journals/10.1049/em_19990111|journal=Engineering Management Journal|language=en|volume=9|issue=1|page=25|doi=10.1049/em:19990111 |doi-broken-date=12 July 2025 |issn=1741-0487|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

== Career == Laverick remained at Durham as a research assistant for a year, and was then hired by Sir Robert Clayton at GEC Stanmore (Marconi Defence Systems Ltd.) where she worked as a microwave engineer.<ref name="auto"/> Her then husband was also employed at GEC Stanmore. At this time there were five or six female mathematicians, physicists and engineers at GEC Stanmore, alongside several hundred male employees.

In 1954 Laverick moved to Elliott Automation (part of Elliott Brothers) as a microwave engineer, gaining commercial experience in microwave instruments. In 1957 she became a senior engineer and in 1959 she was appointed head of the radar and communication research laboratory.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=Summer 1964|title=News of Members|url=https://www.theiet.org/publishing/library-archives/the-iet-archives/the-woman-engineer-journal/|journal=The Woman Engineer|volume=9|pages=1|via=Institution of Engineering and Technology|access-date=21 June 2019|archive-date=9 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209003856/https://www.theiet.org/publishing/library-archives/the-iet-archives/the-woman-engineer-journal/|url-status=dead}}</ref> She became technical director of Elliott Automation Radar Systems, a role in which she was responsible for the technical quality and financial viability of four divisions concerned with the research, development and production of radar and other products. A considerable number of the products Laverick was involved in, such as airborne radar and an army radar went into production. Over time Laverick moved away from technical work towards a managerial role and in 1968 she became the general manager of Elliott Automation Radar Systems, though she had thought that, as a woman, she was barred from such managerial work.<ref name="auto"/>

Laverick appeared on the BBC interviewed as part of coverage of the week long second International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists conference in Cambridge in 1967.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 July 2018 |title=@BBCArchive "#OTD 1967: Women engineers from all over the world began a one week conference at Cambridge |url=https://x.com/BBCArchive/status/1014112770600493056 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241127120748/https://x.com/BBCArchive/status/1014112770600493056 |archive-date=2024-11-27 |access-date=2025-11-25 |website=X (formerly Twitter)}}</ref> From 1967 to 1969 Laverick was president of the Women's Engineering Society, taking over from Rose Winslade. She spent spare time giving career talks to girls and doing much to inspire women to work in the field.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Zorpette|first=G|date=May 1992|title=Elisabeth Laverick|journal=IEEE Spectrum|volume=29| issue = 5|pages=40–42|doi=10.1109/6.135408|s2cid=20199883}}</ref> She became a member of the WES in 1959, presented the first Verena Holmes lecture by WES in 1969 and edited the WES journal (The Woman Engineer) between 1983 and 1990.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=Autumn 1993|title=WES matters - Council|url=https://www.theiet.org/publishing/library-archives/the-iet-archives/the-woman-engineer-journal/|journal=The Woman Engineer|volume=15|issue=2|pages=2|via=The Institution of Engineering and Technology|access-date=21 June 2019|archive-date=9 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209003856/https://www.theiet.org/publishing/library-archives/the-iet-archives/the-woman-engineer-journal/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1984 Laverick accepted nomination as a Vice President of the Electrical Association for Women.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=February 1984|title=New of Members|url=https://www.theiet.org/publishing/library-archives/the-iet-archives/the-woman-engineer-journal/|journal=The Woman Engineer|volume=13|issue=7|pages=3|via=The Institution of Engineering and Technology|access-date=21 June 2019|archive-date=9 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209003856/https://www.theiet.org/publishing/library-archives/the-iet-archives/the-woman-engineer-journal/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Seeking a career change Laverick applied for and became the first female deputy secretary of the Institution of Electrical Engineers in 1971, a role she held for 14 years.

Laverick was the fifth woman to be made a Fellow of IEE<ref name="auto1">{{Cite journal|last=Inglis|first=Sheena|date=1970-03-01|title=What makes women engineers?|journal=Students' Quarterly Journal|language=en|volume=40|issue=159|pages=83|doi=10.1049/sqj.1970.0003|issn=2053-7875}}</ref> and was a Fellow of the Institute of Physics. She chaired the Institute of Physics' 'Women in Physics Committee' and was the first woman to serve on the IEE Council.<ref name="auto1"/> In 1993 she received an OBE for 'services to women in engineering and science'.

== Publications == * 'The use of special waveforms in the study of linear dielectric phenomena' (1951).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Laverick|first=Elizabeth|date=1951-03-01|title=The use of special waveforms in the study of linear dielectric phenomena|journal=Journal of the British Institution of Radio Engineers|language=en|volume=11|issue=3|pages=81–92|doi=10.1049/jbire.1951.0021|issn=2054-054X}}</ref> * 'Some measurements and applications of the microwave properties of a magnesium-manganese ferrite in the 8–9 mm waveband' (1957).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Laverick|first1=Elizabeth|last2=Rivett-Carnac|first2=Ann|date=1957-01-01|title=Some measurements and applications of the microwave properties of a magnesium-manganese ferrite in the 8–9 mm waveband|journal=Proceedings of the IEE - Part B: Radio and Electronic Engineering|language=en|volume=104|issue=6S|pages=379–382|doi=10.1049/pi-b-1.1957.0068|issn=2054-0434}}</ref> * 'The Calibration of Microwave Attenuators by an Absolute Method' (1957).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Laverick|first=Elizabeth|date=October 1957|title=The Calibration of Microwave Attenuators by an Absolute Method|journal=IRE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques|volume=5|issue=4|pages=250–254|doi=10.1109/TMTT.1957.1125160|bibcode=1957ITMTT...5..250L}}</ref> * 'An automatic standing-wave indicator for the 3-cm waveband' (1959).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Laverick|first1=Elizabeth|last2=Welsh|first2=J.|date=1959-04-01|title=An automatic standing-wave indicator for the 3-cm waveband|journal=Journal of the British Institution of Radio Engineers|language=en|volume=19|issue=4|pages=253–262|doi=10.1049/jbire.1959.0031|issn=2054-054X}}</ref> * 'Research and development in radar communications' (1960)<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Laverick|first=Elizabeth|date=Spring 1960|title=Research and development in radar communications|url=https://www.theiet.org/publishing/library-archives/the-iet-archives/the-woman-engineer-journal/|journal=The Woman Engineer|volume=8|pages=9–15|via=IET|access-date=21 June 2019|archive-date=9 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209003856/https://www.theiet.org/publishing/library-archives/the-iet-archives/the-woman-engineer-journal/|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 'EDITORIAL' (1980)<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Laverick|first=Elizabeth|date= January 1980|title=Editorial (small article about women in engineering) |journal=The International Journal of Electrical Engineering & Education|volume=7|issue=1|pages=3|doi=10.1177/002072098001700101|s2cid=208150826|doi-access=free}}</ref> * 'From MAP to AMIE: the IEE's contribution to advanced manufacturing techniques' (1987).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Laverick|first=Elizabeth|date=1987-03-01|title=From MAP to AMIE: the IEE's contribution to advanced manufacturing techniques|journal=Electronics and Power|language=en|volume=33|issue=3|pages=195|doi=10.1049/ep.1987.0123|issn=2053-7883}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist|30em}} {{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laverick, Elizabeth}} Category:20th-century British women engineers Category:Alumni of St Mary's College, Durham Category:1925 births Category:2010 deaths Category:People educated at Dr Challoner's Grammar School Category:People from Amersham Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Fellows of the Institute of Physics Category:Fellows of the Institution of Electrical Engineers Category:Presidents of the Women's Engineering Society Category:Women's Engineering Society